(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters.)

S: Austen keeps introducing us to more and more characters, which isn’t a bad thing, but it does feel as if the story is moving almost too rapidly now.

I’m happy that Anne was able to talk with Captain Benwick, and that she is feeling stronger about being near Frederick. Although, I think they need to at least talk everything out, but how? I wonder if Benwick will end up liking Anne or if they will remain friends. Austen makes a good point that sometimes we can help others and give great advice even if we find it difficult to take the advice. 

R: I’m also wondering about Captain Benwick! Is Austen setting him up as a potential love interest for Anne, especially as a way to spur Frederick to reevaluate his own feelings about her? The scene between Anne and Benwick was sweet. I like that Anne has the personality to approach the person who seems disconnected from the group and engage with him.

S: Also, I now want to read all of the books and poetry Austen has mentioned in her works. My to-read list continues to grow and I need to admit to myself that at some point I will just not make it through everything, sad as that is. (I am aware that it doesn’t help that I am a re-reader!)

R: I have a confession: I am a poetry Neanderthal. I like limericks, haiku and nonsense poetry. I have encountered very few serious poems that have done anything for me. I am so ashamed. 

S: Oh no! That’s funny, but no need to be ashamed.

Chapter 12 left me with mixed feelings. I think this is the first time reading an Austen novel where I felt that something happened to simply move the story along: Louisa’s fall. It just seems a bit out of the blue. I suppose accidents like that are out of the blue, but it really threw me. Louisa is, like Lydia Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, strong willed and stubborn, and I hope Frederick sees how that is not always a good thing.

I like Austen’s observation through Anne: ‘She thought it could scarcely escape him to feel that a persuadable temper might sometimes be as much in favour of happiness as a very resolute character’. I know I’ve said something similar before, but I hope Frederick sees how much Anne has changed and how cool and collected she is.

R: The beginning of Chapter 12 is interesting, with the introduction of a mysterious man showing much interest in Anne in two different encounters, only for us to learn, along with the characters, that he is actually a cousin of Anne’s and, if I understand correctly, her father’s heir, as he had no sons. 

I was surprised by Louisa’s sudden accident. It seemed to be very childish behaviour. I agree that Lydia Bennet is a good comparison for her. 

S: I have a feeling that Louisa and Captain Benwick will end up together, which is another reason it feels like a weird chapter. Maybe it feels as though Austen is trying to fix a potential problem?

R: I had the same thought. I wonder if Frederick’s strong emotion about the situation has more to do with him feeling like it was his fault for not catching Louisa, rather than his having romantic feelings or intentions toward her.

S: Agreed. Also, Mary’s jealousy is still just as annoying as it ever was. 

R: Agreed, Mary is so selfish! At the same time, I don’t think it’s quite fair that it’s assumed that Anne would be fine with being left to nurse Louisa. 

Was Austen referencing her own work (Emma) when she writes, ‘Without emulating the feelings of an Emma towards her Henry, she would have attended on Louisa with a zeal above the common claims of regard, for his sake; and she hoped he would not long be so unjust as to suppose she would shrink unnecessarily from the office of a friend.’? Or did I miss something else in this story that it was in reference to?

S: Hm, that’s a good question; I wondered about that as well. It’s actually pretty funny if she is referencing her own work!

Chapter 13 is a nice, slow chapter. I like that Anne speaks her mind to Lady Russell about the house. I do not think Mrs. Croft knows about Anne and Frederick, but I do wonder if she suspects something happened between them, or perhaps hopes something will happen between them. 

R: This was a good transitional chapter. It establishes that Anne feels herself free of feelings for Frederick, but also not at risk of meeting him any time soon. I’m not sure if the Crofts know of Anne and Frederick’s previous relationship. I didn’t see anything to indicate that they do, but it’s possible. They could have heard of it upon moving into the neighbourhood. Surely some neighbour would delight in relating the events. Overall, as you said, a slow chapter. 

S: As we get into Chapter 14 I think it is obvious Captain Benwick likes Louisa, and I wonder if Frederick senses that. He does not seem like a man who would stand in the way of his friend’s happiness and, even though he appears to have been courting Louisa, I’m not convinced he really loves her. This is another slower, more informative chapter.

Also, I honestly don’t know what to think about Mr. Elliot, but my first impression is not a good one. Is he still married? Divorced? Widowed? I’m very confused. 

R: My impression from Mary and Charles is that Captain Benwick likes Anne, but that could be a misunderstanding on both their parts. I wonder if Mr. Elliot learned who Anne was and is trying to get to her or if he’s mending fences with the family independently of his encountering Anne already.

S: As Chapter 15 closes I now wonder if Mr. Elliot is going to end up liking Anne. This was not one of my favourite chapters simply because of the characters of Sir Walter and Elizabeth. This set of chapters left me feeling confused and a little annoyed because it seems less Austen-y, if that makes sense, than her other novels. I’m hoping the rest of the book is more satisfying. 

R: I don’t care for Sir Walter and Elizabeth at all, but I liked this chapter. Mr. Elliot treats Anne better than her own family does, and definitely seems to like her. It does seem disconnected from the rest of the story. I’m curious if Austen will bring the two groups together or take Anne back to the rest of her family.